PERHAPS NO other state in the nation is as heralded and hated, lauded and lampooned, and adored and abhorred, as much as New York. But let’s be frank…99 percent of the ill will is directed at New York City. You don’t hear anyone seething, “I swear, those snobby Uticans really tick me off.” Likewise, no one has complained about the arrogance of those lousy Oneonta Tigers fans.

The Big Apple! Musicians coined the phrase “Big Apple,” because when you played the Big Apple, it meant you played the big time. And we believe the hype. Frankie said it–make it there, make it anywhere. It’s the home of Wall Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue. You know a city’s got serious clout when its street names have their own identity.

Which brings us to sports fans of New York City teams…studies show that 75 percent of the animosity directed toward the Big Apple stems from the sometimes cocky and often arrogant attitude that Yankee baseball fans demonstrate. A century of Babes, Mickeys, Joe Ds and Yogis have created 26 World Series titles and an everlasting sense of entitlement.

But there is so much to love about the Big Apple. It’s arguably viewed as the preeminent city in not only North America, but the world over. When it comes to theater (live and film), arts, music, entertainment, political and social consciousness, New York City sets the pace. And what a pace! Everyone is in a hurry.

Distinctly Its Own State

But one city does not a state make, even if it is the most prolific burg in the world. The state itself has its own set of distinctions. For example (courtesy of 50states.com):

o Oneida boasts the world’s smallest church at 42×72?.

o The nation’s first railroad ran 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.